Grill cleaner



W. J. BELL GRILL CLEANER July 27, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 26, 1963 INVENTOR. WILLARD J BELL Mam/q AT TORNE Y5 W. J. BELL GRILL CLEANER July 27, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 26, 1963 INVENTOR. MLLAPD J BELL BY %M WWW j A7- TORNEKS United States Patent 3,196,473 QRIZLL CLEANER Willard .1. Bell, 1355 W. Iowa Ave, St. Paul, Minn. Filed Dec. 26, 1963, Sea. No. 333,558 3 Qiairns. (Cl. 1523) My invention relates to devices for cleaning of the cooking surfaces of grills, grids, and the like and more particularly to power-operated devices of this character.

Still more specifically, my invention relates to rotary brush-equipped devices of the character immediately above described, and has for its primary object the provision of means for constant cleaning of the bristles of the brush during operation thereof.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class immediately above described wherein means is provided for collecting of the grease and other material removed from surfaces being cleaned by the brush, whereby the material may be conveniently and periodically removed and disposed of.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class above described which is inexpensive to produce, which is substantially foolproof in its operation, and which is rugged and durable.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class above described which may be used with a minimum of instruction and skill and may be applied to work surfaces of varying shapes and sizes with equal efliciency.

The above and still further objects of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claims, and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of my novel cleaning device, some parts being broken away and some parts shown in section;

FIG. 2 is a view in top plan of the structure of FIG. 1, some parts being broken away and some parts shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a view in front elevation of the structure of FIG. 1, some parts being broken away and some parts shown in section;

FIG. 4 is a View in bottom plan of the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view in side elevation of the refuse collecting receptacle removed from the housing, some parts being broken away and some parts shown in section;

FIG. 6 is a view in front elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 5, some parts being broken away and some parts shown in section; and

FIG. 7 is a view in vertical section as seen from the line 77 of FIG. 1.

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates in its entirety a frame, including a housing 11. Housing 11, as shown, comprises laterally spaced side walls 12, 13, the front wall 14, a top wall 15, and a rear wall 16 which, as shown particularly in FIG. 1, terminates at its lower end in a forwardly projecting arcuate lip 17 for a purpose which will hereinafter be explained.

At their forward lower ends the side walls 12, 13 terminate in fork elements 18, 19 between which is journalled for rotation an elongated generally cylindrical brush element 20, the bristles of which are identified by The side wall 13 is cut away rearwardly of brush element 20 to define a laterally opening recess 21 into the interior of the housing 11. Slidably received within the recess 21, and conforming in cross-sectional shape substantially thereto, is a drawer-like refuse collecting receptacle 22 which, at its lower forward end and immediately rearwardly of the brush element 20, defines a restricted mouth 23, the dimensions of which correspond generally to the longitudinal and diametrical dimensions of said brush element. As shown particularly in FIG. 1, the lower rear end portion of the drawer-like receptacle 22 rests upon and has sliding engagement with the lip 17, as indicated at 24. A suitable spring clip 25 carried by the rear wall 16 of the housing 11 retains the receptacle 22 in operative position within the recess 21 by releasable engagement thereof with the side wall 22a of the receptacle 22.

Suitably mounted within the housing 11 is power means in the nature of an electric motor 26. Entrained over a pulley 27, fast on the drive shaft 28 of the motor 26, and over a similar pulley 29 fast on one end of the rotary shaft 31% associated with and fast on the brush element 20, is a flexible drive belt 31. A source of electrical current for the motor 26 may be supplied by means of batteries 32 also within the housing 11.

Fast on the frame 113 and projecting rearwardly therefrom is a pistol-grip guide-handle 33 having associated therewith a trigger-like actuator switch 3 1 for the electric motor 26.

When the structure immediately above described is moved over the cooking surface of a grill or grid A, for purposes of cleaning same, grease or other residual mate rial removed from such cooking surfaces by the bristles 260 of the brush element 211 will tend to be thrown off rearwardly of the brush element and within the general direction of the mouth 23 of the receptacle 22 by centrifu- 'gal force. However, to assure a maximum removal of such picked-up material from the bristles 20a, I provide a blade-like wiper-deflector tongue 35, the rear end portion as of which is secured to the bottom wall 37 of the receptacle 22, and the upwardly and forwardly inclined front end 33 of winch terminates intermediate the upper and lower limits of the mouth 23 in a manner to have wiping engagement with the peripheral outer limits of the bristles 20a of the brush element 211, as shown particularly in FIG. 1. This wiping action causes progressive deflection of the bristles 2%. However, as the bristles 211a pass by the wiper-deflector blade 35, they straighten out with sufficient snap action, as they assume their normal position, to free themselves of any such residual material adhering thereto.

As shown particularly in FIG. 6, the wiper-deflector tongue 35 has longitudinal dimensions corresponding generally to the longitudinal dimensions of the brush element 20, and is yieldingly biased in a direction opposite the direction of movement of the brush element 20 (as indicated by arrows in FIG. 1) by means of a coil tension spring 39 interposed between the intermediate portion of the tongue 35 and the bottom wall 37 of the receptacle 22. It might here be stated that the box-like refuse collecting receptacle 22 may, if desired, be provided with replaceable liners, not shown, made from some suitable papyraceous or plastic material.

My invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the above objects; and while I have disclosed a preferred embodiment thereof, same may well be capable of modification without departure from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described,

(a) frame structure terminating at its lower end in a pair of depending fork elements,

(b) an elongated generally cylindrical brush element journalled for rotation between the extended ends of said fork elements,

(0) a refuse collecting receptacle detachably securable in said frame rearwardly of said brush element and 'having atbottom wall the plane of which is iIllIGIr' mediate the axis and the low i p limits of said brushelemenf,;- 4 v (d) said receptacle immediately rearwardly of said brush element defining a mouth of a width at least equal to the longitudinal dimensions of said brush,

element," e V a (e) power means carried by said' frame for imparting rotation to said brush element in a direction to cause" the lower limits thereof to move in the direction of said mouth, f

10 r tacle and projecting through said mouth and engage- (f) a blade-like deflector-tongue secured at its reare n d to the bottom wall of said receptacle and terminating at its forward end intermediate the upper and lower limits of said mouth and engageable with the pe'riph-i eral'portion of said brush element throughout its longitudinal dimension; and v r (g) yielding means biasing the projected forward end of said deflector-tongue in a downward direction.

7 2. The structure defined in claim 1 in'which said last mentioned means comprises a coil tension spring'interposed between the bottom'wall of said'receptacle andvthe intermediate portion of saiddeflector-tongue.

3. In a device ofthe class described, (a) a frame structure,

: (b) a horizontally disposed generally cylindrical brush element journalledfor rotation in said frame structure, V i f (0) a refuse'collecting receptacle detachably securable able with the-peripheral portion "ofsaid brush element throughout its longitudinal dimension,

(g) said deflector tongue being yieldingly biased in a direction counter to the directiontof rotation of said brush element. g K t 1 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS is1,'735 8/ 7 6 Smith 15-83 857,415 6/07/Pum 1ss3 7 1,536,687 7 5/25 Oatey 15- so 1, 91,794 2/35' Outright; 15-23 2 ,670,485. 3154 Gomez 'V 15 -49 2,7s1, 1 6 6/56 Turner etal. '15 79 a g FOREIGNPATENTS" fvio ssg 6 311 Francesf 30 CHARLES: WILL MUTH, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A DEVICE OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED, (A) FRAME STRUCTURE TERMINATING AT ITS LOWER END IN A PAIR OF DEPENDING FORK ELEMENTS, (B) AN ELONGATED GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL BRUSH ELEMENT JOURNALLED FOR ROTATION BETWEEN THE EXTENDED ENDS OF SAID FORK ELEMENTS, (C) A REFUSE COLLECTING RECEPTACLE DETACHABLY SECURABLE IN SAID FRAME REARWARDLY OF SAID BRUSH ELEMENT AND HAVING A BOTTOM WALL THE PLANE OF WHICH IS INTERMEDIATE THE AXIS AND THE LOWER PERIPHERAL LIMITS OF SAID BRUSH ELEMENT, (D) SAID RECEPTACLE IMMEDIATELY REARWARDLY OF SAID BRUSH ELEMENT DEFINING A MOUTH OF A WIDTH AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE LONGITUDINAL DIMENSIONS OF SAID BRUSH ELEMENT, (E) POWER MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME FOR IMPARTING ROTATION TO SAID BRUSH ELEMENT IN A DIRECTION TO CAUSE THE LOWER LIMITS THEREOF TO MOVE IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID MOUTH, (F) A BLADE-LIKE DEFLECTOR-TONGUE SECURED AT ITS REAR END TO THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID RECPTACLE AND TERMINATING AT ITS FORWARD END INTERMEDIATE THE UPPER AND LOWER LIMITS OF SAID MOUTH AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID BRUSH ELEMENT THROUGHOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL DIMENSION, AND (G) YIELDING MEANS BIASING THE PROJECTED FORWARD END OF SAID DEFLECTOR-TONGUE IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION. 